The Mountain of Fire and Miracles Ministries (MFM) has denied reports of the death of an elderly female worshipper during a church event at its Prayer City in Ogun State.
In a statement released on Thursday, Collins Edomaruse, the media aide to the church’s General Overseer, Dr. Daniel Olukoya, clarified that the woman passed away at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Sagamu, where she had been promptly taken, and not within the church premises.
Edomaruse elaborated that the deceased, who attended the Prayer City service on November 2, 2023, arrived appearing frail. Subsequently, she was urgently moved from the service to the clinic within the church premises and then transferred to OOUTH, Sagamu.
He further mentioned that the incident was reported to the Ibafo Police Station the following morning.
He highlighted that following the woman’s demise, the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) acknowledged that the church was a public place. They commended MFM for its “sufficient duty of care” in swiftly transporting the sick person to the hospital. However, certain media outlets inaccurately reported that the woman had collapsed and died within the church.
The statement quoted Mrs. Bisi Adewumi, the matron at the Prayer City Clinic, stating that the deceased was “brought to the clinic on the 2nd of November 2023, around 5.30 p.m. as an emergency case from the auditorium during Thursday evening service.”
“On physical observation inside an ambulance, we recorded pallor+++…that she was pale (short of blood).”
“She looked cachexia and emaciated, hence blood pressure was quickly checked inside the ambulance; result: B/P71/55 P115, Temp 36. oc, because of the pallor+++ that requires immediate blood.”
“The ambulance driver and a nurse were instructed to rush her to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, where urgent intervention and investigations could be carried out.”
“The report received from the nurse at the teaching hospital indicated that the deceased was attended to in the ambulance as an emergency for preliminary investigations.”
“She later gave up there and her remains were deposited at the morgue of Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital.”
Edomaruse added, “It should be noted that the MFM Camp is a place frequented by God worshippers and seekers from all over the world.”
“The ministry may not be able to ascertain the medical situation of everyone who desires to seek God’s face within its facility.”
“It, however, provides a first aid duty of care to anyone who needs medical attention within its premises.”
“One can conclude that it’s simply a case of ignorance and misrepresentation of facts to claim that the unfortunate demise of a worshipper at a teaching hospital was caused by the ministry in any way.”
“The Church provides a covenant platform of divine encounter and teaches the worshippers how to connect with the God of the Bible. This has provided tremendous testimonies over the years.”